Beta: CherryBerry12
EDIT 5/8/20: Streamlined. Characterization tweaked. Plot the same (clarified). Special thanks to Guest for the review!
Chapter 3. Together
Kakashi flickered into existence at one end of the shopping street. Villagers murmured and shuffled around him. Light laughter sprung from a group of gossiping elders while the smell and sizzle of grilled meat overpowered the scent of hotpot and baked sweet potatoes.
Kakashi opened his eye and sighed. He joined the flow of shopping villagers. Ever since his only visit to the safehouse, he'd buried himself in missions and training. He gave up the idea of further visits after the investigation reported involvement of an S-rank missing-nin. For the most part, the only thing guarding the safehouse was its location. He didn't want to accidentally provide a lead to his vulnerable friends. So just like that, four months went by. He long stopped thinking about the depressing state of affairs with Obito. Whether he was at square one or negative one (followed by multiple zeroes), he wouldn't stop being his friend. The most pressing thing right now was what would be a good welcome back gift…
He bought a basket to start. Should I make something? He twirled the basket in his hands. He'd usually be casual about something like this, but with the severity of his faults, shouldn't he put in more effort? Actually, it couldn't be counted as more effort since he's been cooking for the team with Kushina for a while now… But except for being a ninja, this was his best skill. If Obito didn't accept it, he could only try something else later…
He stopped by a few stalls and dropped in the store. A good nose made it easy to pick out ingredients. After buying some fruits to balance everything, the basket couldn't be filled anymore.
Kakashi took a deep breath. Here goes…
He cut through a few alleys and entered a quiet neighborhood, passing by elders bundled in thick cotton coats. His lone footfalls tapped down the frozen dirt road until he came to a small, fenced two-story apartment. Climbing the stairs and walking down the hall felt like an incredibly long time. But a slow pace gave him a semblance of control over the mixed fear and hope of what would happen next. He came to a stop in front of the closed apartment door. Judging by the movements inside, someone was home.
Kakashi carried the basket up and hugged it with one arm. His heart pounded steadily, so he followed its example. He raised his hand, and knocked.
Knock knock knock.
Obito was moving the dining table chairs back in place and instinctively swept his chakra towards the entrance. The blinking spark on the other side made him pause. The last chair was shoved in place and he headed to the door, just short of running. He pulled it open with a noisy rattle.
Kacha!
The heat from inside rushed out. Kakashi was struck by the sudden warmth and blinked several times in surprise. He was faced with his sharingan again, now with the scars and sharpened features. Obito seemed to be regarding his changes too when his expression fell in an instant. Kakashi thought to himself that this was a good first run. Maybe next time—
"It's freezing! Inside! Quick!" Obito ducked in and left the door open.
Kakashi stood there. He eventually came to his senses as he was buffeted by the continuous heat loss, stepping in and closing the door.
Obito didn't go too far and just stepped up from the entryway. Now that he wouldn't become a popsicle, he wore a friendly smile. "I can take that," he offered to relieve Kakashi of the large basket in his hands. The bright apples and oranges made it look like a fruit basket, but he could see leafy greens and packages peeking out from behind them.
"Oh." Kakashi was still bewildered by the situation. He handed over the gift. "Congrats on your conferment."
"Thanks!" Obito received it and felt the surprising weight. "What'd you put in this?" he breathed. It was as heavy as a granny's luggage!
Kakashi made to remove his cloak. "It's faster if you see for yourself."
Makes sense! Obito took the basket to the table and began rummaging through it.
Kakashi hung up his cloak and glanced over at Obito, who was laying out the groceries on the table. Even during their last cooperation, things didn't go as smoothly as this. It felt strange and not strange at the same time. Kakashi moved to take his sandals off, then went over to where he was.
Obito held his chin, surveying the groceries. There were eighteen things in total. Besides the fruits, the small cabbage and daikon were rather hefty. Then there was a small bag of rice, a magically uncrushed carton of eggs… and bottles of cooking wine and soy sauce. It was like viewing an old scene from the past, before he started living alone.
Obito unconsciously smiled. He had a good guess of what Kakashi wanted to do.
Kakashi was going over the explanation in his head when Obito turned to him with a smile. "You're planning to cook?"
Kakashi didn't expect to be seen through. "I can?"
"Of course you can!" Obito didn't know Kakashi started cooking for the team since he went MIA, so this was akin to a sudden blessing. Leaving the carton of eggs out, Obito started putting the groceries back in the basket.
Kakashi watched him arrange the foods in a happy manner. Since the beginning, there was no trace of hostility. Nothing to indicate that a near tragedy happened four months ago. "Obito."
"Yeah?" Obito didn't look up, but one could tell he was intent on listening.
Kakashi's left eye burned dully, but he ignored it. "How's Rin?"
Against his expectations, Obito's smile brightened. "Her body's fully recovered. We just have to wait for her to wake up."
Kakashi didn't realize his heart had been walking on a knife's edge until now. Months of exhaustion suddenly flooded out, relieving to the point of fatigue. Yet the weightlessness wouldn't let him collapse. "That's good to hear."
Obito's hand stopped inches away from placing an apple on the pile. He put his hand down. His expression had turned somber. "Kakashi."
"Hm?"
Obito looked over, scrutinizing him. Kakashi tilted his head. His mask wasn't torn, and his face was washed of tears and blood. "I know it happened a while ago, but are you okay?"
Kakashi blinked. He should be talking about the scouting mission. He nodded. "Nn. I'm alright."
"Really?" He sounded a bit urgent. The apple in his hand was in danger of being crushed.
Kakashi's smile came easily for once. "I'm really fine."
Obito studied him a while longer. He looked to the basket and finally placed the apple. "You know, if anything's troubling you, you can count on me, right?"
Silence blanketed the room.
Kakashi clenched his fist. How many times have I counted on you already? But what have I done for you instead?
Obito turned to him with a questioning look. Kakashi regained focus.
"I…" His voice became a bit quieter. He looked to Obito with entreaty. "Can you also count on me again?"
Obito was puzzled. "But I never stopped counting on you."
Seeing his look of disbelief, Obito didn't get it. Wasn't he always relying on Rin and Kakashi? Although Rin got hurt this time—Obito smacked himself on the head! He paced on the spot before facing Kakashi. "You—don't blame yourself for what happened, okay?" He reached out and held his shoulders.
Kakashi tensed for a second, but allowed it in the end. "How could I not?"
"Because you weren't responsible!" Obito didn't notice his grip becoming shaky. "God knows if… if anyone in your place could avoid falling into that trap."
That was more than he was supposed to say in the middle of the village. Kakashi's eye lit up. He caught on immediately. His gaze flitted across the floor, thinking about what he'd told Minato and the omissions in the final report.
"I'll tell you about it later…" Obito scratched the back of his head. He was an Uchiha, but like Minato, he didn't want this knowledge to spread. He didn't want another person to recreate the same tragedy as Madara.
Kakashi quietly came to his own conclusions. Anyway, it didn't change the facts. "No matter the circumstances, I still broke my promise."
"It's alright. Since the two of you are okay, you don't have to be so hard on yourself."
"What if Rin didn't make it?"
Kakashi felt Obito's remaining grip tighten. Somehow, this felt more comfortable than the friendliness from earlier. He looked coolly at the other's assessing gaze.
Obito let up on his grip. "Then we would have to move on."
Kakashi was silent for a moment. "Punish me."
"What the heck are you saying?!" Obito's mind was sent reeling.
"Don't let me off this time." On the other hand, Kakashi was completely calm.
Obito's mind was still regaining its balance. If he punished Kakashi, then wouldn't he have to punish Rin too, because they both didn't look out for each other well enough? What a load of bull! The only one who needed punishment was himself!
But Kakashi didn't look like he would back down… If a small punishment would help him move on, Obito thought it really wasn't a big deal.
Obito removed Kakashi's forehead protector to the other's confusion, and then set his hands on the other's shoulders with a flippant smile.
"Kakashi…" His expression turned serious and he slammed their foreheads together!
There was an audible thwack. Kakashi cursed! He wasn't aware of the other's new regenerative ability. Only that a past trauma patient actually used his head and potentially hurt himself. He was itching to bite someone. "Are you stupid?! When does an executor hurt them self in the process?"
This guy sure likes to complain… Obito rubbed the red mark on his own forehead. "It's both of us, or none of us. Take it or leave it."
Kakashi stilled. That is to say, Obito hurt himself on purpose… to share his punishment?
"You…" That was all he could utter with his shock.
He lightly touched his own forehead. Maybe he became stupid. The pain actually didn't seem bad anymore. What an idiot. Both of us, or none of us, huh? Kakashi smiled to himself.
Oh, no. I might've hit him too hard, Obito lamented. "Is, is your head okay?"
Kakashi came back to himself, but he still didn't put away his smile. "Yeah."
I really did hit him too hard! But it did seem like Kakashi got past his last mental barrier. Obito noted to himself to suggest a check-up later.
The doorknob rattled. The two looked over to see the landlady teeter in, holding a stack of lunchboxes and a thermos.
"Kaname-baachan!" Obito hurried to the entrance to help her.
After a moment, Kakashi followed after him.
The landlady handed the bento to Obito with a smile. "Take a break and warm your stomach." She looked over when the second person came closer.
"Ooya-san," Kakashi respectfully greeted her.
"Kakashi-kun! So you were here," she said with pleasant surprise.
Obito raised his brows. "You two know each other?"
Kaname-baachan nodded. "Kakashi-kun often helps with chores around the building."
"That, you don't have to mention it…" Kakashi felt his cheeks heat up.
"Oh! See, doesn't it feel great to help others?" Obito threw in.
Kakashi was distracted by the question. He nodded, but then ended up feeling embarrassed because of that. He pulled his mask up higher and didn't look at anyone anymore.
Kaname-baachan motioned to the lunchboxes. "Luckily, there should be enough for both of you. Don't let it get cold!" She slipped out of the apartment and the door quietly clicked shut.
Obito handed one of the lunch and dinner set to Kakashi. "So, we're clear? I'll count on you, you'll count on me."
Kakashi carefully accepted the lunch box. This was his second chance. He wouldn't squander it. "Yeah."
The two sat down for lunch. Both bento had an arrangement of steamed vegetables, rice, and black cod, while the thermos had miso soup.
"You just got back from a mis… sion…?" Obito was almost rendered speechless by Kakashi's eating speed.
Kakashi forced himself to slow down. His last meal was some tasteless rations in the morning. After all was said and done, he was starving. "Un. It wasn't anything difficult. You were cleaning?" He had long noticed a pail on the side with a few damp rags.
"Yeah."
"How about I help?"
"I don't want you to push yourself."
"I won't. Since I need to use your kitchen, it'll be faster if I help a bit."
"…Alright." Obito wasn't one to stand on ceremony. The cleaning was light anyway. "You've been helping Kaname-baachan out?"
"Nn. I can see how you were always late before."
"It wasn't alwa…" Kakashi gave him a look and the word died on his tongue. Obito quietly drank his soup. Fine! He wouldn't be late anymore! After all, if he wasn't the only one running errands, he could cut down the time…
Even if the landlady didn't spill the beans, Obito already knew about Kakashi helping around. When he got the seal removed, he was already cleared to leave the safehouse. His return was delayed because he wanted to accompany Rin, but that didn't mean he stayed with her all the time.
"I'll be back, Rin." Obito went out of the room and got a cloak to wear. The weather outside was getting chillier.
Ume was sitting at the table and looked up from her magazine. "You're going out?" It was the first time Obito showed any interest in leaving.
"Yeah." He shrugged the cloak on. Since he realized the truth about what happened to Rin, he started to wonder how Kakashi was doing… Rather than beat himself up about ignoring him, he would go check on him now.
Ume went back to reading her magazine. "Don't stay out too late."
Obito put his hood up and disappeared in a spiral from the safehouse.
The air distorted over a deserted street in Konoha. Obito reappeared and dropped to the ground. Somewhere, shinobi were madly scrambling over the tripped security barrier while Obito cast a wave of chakra to scan the village. He sensed a white chakra spark and warped away again. Since the Council had plans for his return, he didn't expose himself. He masked his chakra signature and appeared a good distance away from his target.
It was still early morning. Kakashi was strolling around a familiar neighborhood. This was where the elders lived and where Obito used to live. Two old men were playing a game of go when one raised his hand and called over the young jounin.
After a short exchange of greetings, Kakashi switched places with the old man who seemed to be losing. He looked down at the board with black and white pieces, and placed a piece with a clack. The old man behind him looked delighted while the other old man chuckled. There was a reversal with no suspense. Kakashi parted with the elders and the clattering of go pieces was left behind.
Up ahead, the mewling of a cat came from a brown-leafed tree. A small child already climbed all the way up and reached out to the cat. The cat suddenly leaped down to the road and ran off, startling her. Her foot slipped on the wet branch. Kakashi rushed up and caught her amongst the shuffle of falling leaves. When the two looked for the runaway cat, it ran out from around a corner and back to the girl. Obito watched the scratches on his arms heal in the blink of an eye. The girl went off with light steps and Kakashi continued on his way, unaware of his tail.
They were about to cross to the main streets when an old lady came walking their way with a full bag on her back and in each hand, having finished with her morning shopping. Kakashi walked over and offered to help her. So carrying her bags, he traveled down the street with her past the brown-leafed tree, past the old men playing go, until they reached the far side of Konoha.
Kakashi looked at the candy in his palm. He pocketed it and jumped to the rooftops, speeding through the old neighborhood and main streets until he reached the training fields. He jumped down and resumed his leisurely pace, sticking his hands in pockets. Obito warped to one of the trees in the distance.
Pak! Pak!
A training post was repeatedly struck with heavy blows. The green jumpsuit ninja grinned when he saw who arrived, waving enthusiastically. "Kakashi! Let's have a match!"
Isn't it too early? Kakashi waved back as he approached. "Why aren't you with your team?"
Gai met him in the middle of the field. He abruptly frowned. "Chouza-sensei said I could be promoted to a jounin soon."
Kakashi's eye widened for a moment. "Oh, congratulations."
Gai smiled again and snapped into a stance. "But I won't accept this promotion until I defeat you!"
"Haven't you won against me a lot already?"
"A spar! I'm talking about a proper spar!"
Kakashi seemed enlightened and nodded. He turned his back to Gai and walked a few meters away, stopping without warning. Obito stayed perfectly still as Kakashi raised his headband. Kakashi took a deep breath and turned around before looking up. "Do your best."
Daiichi Kaimon… kai!
The air burst around Gai as he launched forward. "Konoha Senpuu!" He fired a rapid set of spin kicks.
Obito's vision flashed. He saw a kick. It blinked out. Kakashi kept dodging and blocking on the field below. A blur of hand seals, then his hands slammed the ground. Doton!
A pillar of earth shot at Gai's next location. He twisted in the air and kicked off it. Kakashi ran up the pillar with a kunai. Gai was forced to pull out his own.
The scratch and ringing of metal accompanied their clashes. The flickering visions came and went with the intensity of the match.
In the end, Gai couldn't escape the tracking of the sharingan. Kakashi drove the kunai into the ground next to his neck. The green beast laughed happily, the fire in him burning brighter. Kakashi brought the kunai back and they both stood up. "As expected of my rival!" Gai patted some grass off his jumpsuit.
Kakashi flipped the kunai in his palm and tucked it behind him, slowly catching his breath. He held his hand out. "Good match."
Gai clapped their hands together and gave a firm shake. "I'll beat you next time!"
Kakashi nodded.
Gai ran off and Kakashi sat down to meditate.
Obito was leaning against the tree, watching Kakashi recover his chakra with a lidded gaze.
"How's your eye?" Obito asked.
"It's fine." He finally got used to the mismatched vision when he had both eyes open. He wouldn't have to close one eye and blind himself on one side anymore. Chakra exhaustion would also become less of an issue when he had his adult chakra reserves. He didn't have to bother Obito about it.
…But he felt increasingly uncomfortable with Obito's staring. Kakashi looked over and gestured to lift the forehead protector he'd put back on. "Do you want to see it?" He'd kept his left eye closed this whole time to minimize the drain.
Obito flashed a smile and shook his head, passing over the topic. He asked a lot of questions about the neighborhood. Kakashi answered as best as he could.
"What are you planning to make?"
"Oden."
Obito imagined the stalls with metal grids filled with broth and a variety of skewers. "That would take a long time, right?"
"A few hours."
"Stay when it's done!" Obito saw there were enough ingredients for three people, probably because Kakashi couldn't buy a smaller amount, but it would be ridiculous if he had to eat it alone.
Kakashi… hadn't actually thought that far. Because he didn't expect to get past the doorstep. But he saw no reason to refuse. "Okay."
Obito gave a big smile, satisfied.
When they finished eating, the two went straight to cleaning the kitchen.
The kitchen was packed with a fridge, stove, sink, and a lot of cabinets. Two teenagers weren't enough to make it feel crowded, but the boxes piled to one side narrowed the already small space.
"Kushina-nee sent these?" Kushina bought the black uniform he was wearing, so he wouldn't be entirely surprised.
"Un. She said your old set was missing a few things."
When Obito unpacked a nine-gallon cooking pot later, his eye twitched. Was he starting a ramen shop? When would he ever use a nine-gallon cooking pot? He put it away nonetheless.
After the floor, the side with the sink was cleaned and instantly filled with dishes. A few boxes were unpacked and the fridge was also quickly wiped down.
Obito started shifting the remaining boxes so they wouldn't block the other counter while Kakashi brought the basket and eggs over, organizing the groceries on the clean side.
Obito watched curiously. "Do you need me to do anything?"
Kakashi went to washing the dishes. "If you could clean the stove…"
"Got it!"
The stove was as simple as the fridge, and Obito quickly moved on to the nearby counter and cabinets. The only sounds were the shifting and pattering of rice. The faucet gushed again and water shushed over the grains.
Chock, chock. The daikon was being chopped. Then came the clank of pots being set on the stove. Boof. A steady heat spread from the lit burners.
A gentle aroma slowly wafted through the kitchen. Now and then, there was the repeated whisper of a slicing knife.
"Phew!" Some minutes later, Obito wiped his brow, admiring the sparkling cabinets.
He looked over and saw Kakashi adding soy sauce and cooking wine to a ceramic pot. The golden stock deepened to a dark amber. Eggs were boiling in a small pot. Off to the side was a large pot and previously soaked kelp and peach-colored bonito flakes.
Obito saw the other counter filled with plates of ingredients. Circles of white daikon rested by purple-grey triangles of konjac jelly, small white rectangles of mochi, and sliced green onions, mushrooms, and pork. Another plate had a cabbage leaf and stalk of spinach, and the last one had an assortment of fried tofu and fishcakes—fried brown wrinkly ones, white puffy steamed ones, and the flower-like ones with pink swirls. The extra was stored away.
"Is there anything else I can help with?"
Kakashi looked up at the sparkling kitchen. The empty boxes were stacked inside each other and a few more dishes were in the sink. "I can clean up the rest."
"Okay." Obito took the boxes out and dumped them by the entrance before returning to take the pail and rags. "I'll be in my room."
"Alright."
Obito went to the bathroom first, changed the water, and got a new set of rags before heading down the hall. There was only one door with a bag of clothes dropped next to it. He pushed it open and there was a small drop in temperature. The afternoon sun lit the room, but only coldness seeped in. The dust gathered in corners and thinly lined the vacant bookshelf, floor, and desk.
Obito felt the openness was refreshing. He kneeled down and dunked a rag in the bucket, wringing out the extra water. He began running the dust off the floor. He soon moved on to the chair and desk. He wiped over the corkboard lying face down, simply lifting it to wipe the dust around its borders without flipping it over. He took his time and still finished quickly.
While wiping his hands on a clean rag, he looked at the corner with the missing scroll cabinet. He didn't think about it deeply and walked to the closet. Inside was a set of clean curtains and a fresh futon and pillow. He took the curtains out and climbed over the desk to hang them up, accidentally plunging the room into darkness.
Click.
The room was bathed in a sunny yellow.
He let go of the switch hanging from the light and went back to the desk. He stared at the corkboard with a wrinkled brow. Rin's pictures… He leaned the corkboard against the curtains. Blank. Duh.
Obito groaned and crumpled to the floor. His lovebird brain wrote only one name on his ninja registration to inherit his possessions. Rin must've seen every picture he collected of her over the years. Every single snapshot of happiness and surprise. Even the silhouette of her back when she was talking to others.
Of course, he didn't care about the pictures as much as the person still sleeping in the safehouse, but he wondered how she felt when she saw them. Did she find out that he likes…
He lightly smacked his face a couple of times. He'd think about it later! He stood back up.
Unlike the kitchen, there weren't any boxes in his room. Since Rin owned his old possessions, she had to wake up before he could get anything back. It was also fine if he didn't get anything back.
He went to the hall and scooped up the bag of clothes. He noticed Kakashi was sitting at the table reading a book. After putting his clothes away, he went out to meet him. "Done?"
"Yeah." Kakashi closed his book with both hands and looked up. "Actually, the next step can't be done until at least two hours from now."
Obito nodded in understanding. "If you have things to do, you can go and come back." He glanced at the empty walls. "I don't think I have a clock, so it's not convenient to time it here anyway."
"So there isn't one…" Kakashi observed for himself. He slunk out of his seat. "Then I'll be back later. I can take the empty boxes down."
"Oh, thanks then!"
"See ya!"
The door closed and Kakashi's cloak fluttered down. He made his way downstairs with the empty boxes in hand. Sunlight glimmered off the snow and softened the coldness of the streets. His spirit also felt particularly light. He dropped the boxes near one corner of the fence before heading towards the busier parts of Konoha.
Past the main street and closer to the training fields, he made his way to the top floor of a six-story building. He opened the door to a dark, spacious studio apartment.
"I'm home," he greeted the emptiness.
He hung up his cloak and pointed his sandals to the door before padding over to an oil heater and turning up the temperature.
There was a sliver of light coming from one wall. He walked over and pulled aside the curtains. The natural light fell on a small shelf, a left out futon, and the kotatsu and kitchen across the way. He took off his weapon pouches and placed them on the kotatsu, plugging in the blanketed low table so it could slowly heat up.
A ways from the foot of the futon, there was a wardrobe set against the wall. Kakashi grabbed some clothes from there and went to wash up. The apartment was much warmer when he came out again.
Kakashi sat at the kotatsu and partly covered himself with the blanket. He went on to inspect his weapons and perform some maintenance before storing them back in their pouches.
He laid his head on the table. Two hours was a long time.
He closed his eyes and took the opportunity to take a nap.
He was in the training field, eyeing the straw training dummy across from himself.
A part of him knew it was a dream, but the thought passed and the memory continued.
That morning, he felt the instincts from the sharingan were stronger. Ever since the eye had three tomoe, it felt like the sharingan had a new ability, but he didn't meet the conditions to activate it.
He didn't feel the strain or effort of channeling so much chakra to his left eye. He activated the new ability like he had the first time. Kamui!
The dummy twisted in a spiral, and when the air smoothed out, the top half was lopped off at the stomach.
Although he didn't feel dizziness, his body still tipped back and he saw the sky, unable to move and aware he couldn't stop it.
His vision turned black, but not before he felt a hand on his back.
The feeling hadn't left when he drowsily woke up. The hand shaking his back stopped.
"You sure you're okay? If you give me instructions, I can finish making it." When Kakashi hadn't shown up after over two hours, Obito had invited himself in and was sitting at one corner of the kotatsu.
Kakashi was stunned awake. He overslept? He wasn't even hospitalized, how could he oversleep? He stopped setting the alarm because he'd wake up before it went off. He didn't think this time would be different. He got up swiftly. "I'm good. We can go over now."
Obito held back from scolding, Go over now, my foot! The elders taught him comprehensively. If you sleep under the kotatsu, you'll catch a cold! If they went out now, Kakashi was bound to—sigh, he could only inconvenience the barrier team again. This was for the health of a jounin. They should understand.
Obito stood up. "Okay. We can go right now." He patted Kakashi's shoulder and made no move for the entrance.
Kakashi was confused. He looked to the entrance and saw the additional vest and pair of sandals—
The air rippled and Kakashi felt a pull. After a slight disorientation, he felt himself tens of meters in the air, overlooking a dark void filled with white cubes. The scene distorted again and they landed in another warm living room. Obito's place.
Kakashi took a moment to digest what happened. "How convenient." Except for the reprimand he saw in the near future.
The scythe-like blades in Obito's sharingan slowly shrunk and split apart into three tomoe. "Hehe, isn't the sharingan awesome? You should be able to do something like this too, but it requires a lot of chakra, so you shouldn't try it yet."
Kakashi nodded. He wasn't thinking of using that jutsu for a long time.
Obito looked satisfied. "I'm gonna wash!" After he finished cleaning, bought more things for the apartment, got sidetracked helping others, and returned the supplies and lunchboxes to the landlady, he'd gone to check on Kakashi soon after and didn't have the chance to relax.
Kakashi hummed in acknowledgment and went to the kitchen. He put the fishcakes and stuffed tofu pouches into the pot before covering it with the lid again. Noting the time on the new wall clock, he pulled a book out of his sleeve and continued from where he left off.
Obito came back after some time and got the kettle out to brew tea.
When the oden was almost done, the both of them set the table. The ceramic pot was brought over last and transferred to a hot plate. The lid was set aside, releasing a comforting aroma.
They clapped their hands together. "Thanks for the meal!"
Obito took a few things into his rice bowl before biting into a broth-flavored egg. A light, subtle flavor spread in his mouth. "Delish!"
Kakashi pulled a spinach-filled cabbage roll off its skewer. "I'm glad."
The food in the hotpot dwindled rapidly. When they were done, Obito sent Kakashi back first and retrieved his vest and sandals before cleaning up.
Looks like they won't do anything about it tonight. Obito flopped onto his futon. The first time he kept tripping the barrier, he turned himself in and the Anbu just asked him a bunch of questions about his ability and identity. Since they knew it was him this time, given the extra chakra signatures camping outside, they probably weren't in a rush to deal with him.
Before he got too comfortable, Obito sat up and meditated, circulating his chakra for an hour. Ever since his right arm stabilized, his chakra reserves received a large boost, but he didn't take it as license to slack off. After meditating, his reserves grew just a bit more and his body felt more limber.
He stretched and finally settled into bed.
The sun shone bright in the early morning. There was no snow on the roofs when he looked out the window. He slid one side of the window open and climbed out, closing it before leaping down to another rooftop. The roof tiles, then tree leaves blurred around him as he dashed through the village.
He landed on a dirt road that led to an open field. A kunoichi with neat brown hair was already there training, forming one hand seal after another in various combinations.
"Rin!"
She paused and turned his way. Her eyes and smile were bright, as was the blood dripping from her lips. The sky turned red. The trees blackened and twisted.
Obito gasped and jolted up, covering his left eye while panting. Why would he dream about—no, that wasn't his dream!
His mind hushed. He scrambled to his feet, not caring that he still hadn't caught his breath. He had to check on him.
Kamui! The world warped and he landed in another dark apartment.
"Kakashi?" he called quietly.
He heard the sound of harsh breathing and rushed over there. Kakashi was still asleep. Pain threaded through his brow.
"Hey! Wake up!" Obito squashed the rising surge of panic and knelt down to shake him.
Kakashi gradually opened his eyes. His heart was pounding like it might burst. He saw a red light in the darkness and slowly made out the person kneeling by the futon. "Obito? Why are you here?"
Just as his worry died down, Obito's anger soared. "You call this fine? Why didn't you say anything?!" His roar reverberated the entire room, leaving behind a pin drop silence.
Kakashi quietly looked at him.
Obito realized he shouldn't be so fierce and lowered his voice. "Has this been happening every night?"
"…Not every night." His heart rate and breathing evened, so Kakashi sat up. "I'm okay now, so you can go back."
Obito still had his eye narrowed at him. He planted his butt down and crossed his legs. "When did it start?"
Kakashi mulled it over. "Maybe… three months ago," he said indifferently.
Obito felt stuffy. There was a rage in his chest that had nowhere to go. "Do you think this isn't serious?"
Kakashi opened his mouth, but hesitated. A few months ago, he would have directly said it wasn't. Which one of them hadn't lost something to the wars? How many of them continued to live nightmares everyday, but persisted and persevered? What he had to carry, what he had to put down, he just had to do it. Even if the hauntings in his mind were serious, what could be done? Like so many other things, they would eventually go away… But by asking him, Obito was saying there was a different answer.
"This is serious. It's unacceptable. No one should have to go through this—alone, or at all," Obito continued. He beckoned with his hand. "Kakashi, show me your sharingan."
Once it was mentioned, Kakashi realized his left eye was open the entire time. He turned his body to face Obito. The red light glinted and Kakashi felt a flood of memories entering his mind:
Rin was in the safehouse. The light in the room would change constantly. Days passed by as the bijuudama slowly shrunk like a yolk absorbed by a hatchling. The room changed to an operating room, then returned to the safehouse. The green chakra cloak was gone. Rin was healed but still sleeping. Minato appeared in his vision, smiling as usual. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah." He looked back to Rin. His hand reached out and held her own. "Rin, we'll see each other soon."
The memories cleared the last shadows aside.
Obito closed his eye and rubbed his temple. "Until Rin wakes up, you can think of those memories instead."
Kakashi came out of his trance. He stared at Obito fixedly.
When Obito opened his eye, he was met with this unwavering gaze. "Wha-what?" He didn't do anything weird. He was just watching over her—
"Thank you, Obito."
Obito blinked. He looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "What are you thanking me for?" He caused a ton of trouble, and even made up for it so late…
Kakashi finally stopped staring and closed his eyes. "Thank you for being here." He opened his eyes to see Obito at a loss. He smiled. "I'm really lucky to have you as a friend."
Kakashi…
For a long time, their lives were two parallel paths. A one year glimpse in the Academy, and passing encounters here and there. Then Kakashi vanished. He could scarcely find his shadow, until he reappeared again as his exceedingly strict teammate. He was already so powerful, fighting on par with their jounin sensei. Yet Obito didn't think about catching up. He wanted to surpass him.
Had he? To him now, it didn't really matter. Because like their sharingan, they would definitely be stronger together.
Kakashi checked the time while Obito tipped onto the futon and laughed to himself foolishly. "Go back and sleep. There's still time before we have to get up for morning drills."
"Okay. Rest well."
"Nn. Good night."
Obito reappeared out of a spiral in his own room. The futon was still a mess and the new alarm clock showed it was 4:30. He stood there like an expressionless ghost. He dove into the covers and hugged his pillow, half wondering about the mess of splintered wood he left in his kamui dimension.
Three months of reliving her death. Had it gotten worse? Had it gotten better? And he only noticed now?
(The Anbu in the vicinity felt a sinister pressure leaking from Obito's apartment, but it quickly reined itself in.)
He would definitely change this world. This world where sacrificing others was a matter of course, written in rules, carved in bones, and soaked and permeating the soil of every ninja village.
"A world of only peace. A world of only love."
It shouldn't come at such bitter sacrifice.
I, Uchiha Obito, will find another way!
His turbulent energy finally settled at the thought. The madness in his eye disappeared. Kakashi, Rin, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you both by fulfilling my dream.
Obito properly laid down. He finally fell into a dreamless sleep.
A/N: Rin is next -u-